It’s hard to believe we have been taking Noah to some sort of developmental therapy appointment since he was just three weeks old.
In that short 8 months (it’s also hard to believe our little boy will turn 9 months old this month!) we’ve met some great, and some not-so-great therapists. Noah now goes to physical therapy twice a week, and occupational therapy once, thankfully we couldn’t be happier with the therapists involved in his life now!
Noah is a huge fan of the swing!
If you have been following our son’s story you’ve no doubt become very familiar with the woman in today’s video; Diane, Noah’s physical therapist. She’s great No, like really great!
If you looking for a great physical (or occupational) therapist in the Dallas area, I can’t say enough good things about Our Children’s House at Baylor. They have several locations in the metroplex, accept lots of different insurance, and are great to work with!
Noah really like his physical therpist!
If you aren’t in the Dallas area don’t worry, you don’t have to pack up your bags and move to the Lone Star State in order to find a great pediatric therapist. Chances are there’s one in your own backyard, you just have to know what to look for.
3 Reasons We Love Our Son’s Physical Therapist (And What You Should Look For In Yours)
He's glad he doesn't have to look any futher!
If you live in the United States, and especially if you live in a large city like we do, pediatric therapists are a dime a dozen. There are clinics everywhere. There are private therapists. There are therapists assigned to your child by the state. There are therapists that come to your house. There are therapists that require you to drive to their office. There are therapist offices that have large gyms. There are therapist offices that have small gyms. There are therapists that incorporate small elephants into their training. And therapists that do not. And the list goes on, and on.
Fun toys are also a requirement.
So how does a loving parent who wants the best for their child choose a pediatric therapist?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret…they all use the same text books. (Well, maybe not exactly the same, but you get my point.) In order to be a licensed therapist they have to had gone to school, and most schools teach the same material (although they may use different methods to teach it.) Since all pediatric therapists will generally have the same education, what you really want to look for is a therapist that displays the above three qualities.
Encouraging.
Patient.
Invested.
It will probably take a few visits (or maybe just one!) with a therapist before you know if they have the qualities you and your child are looking for. That’s ok. Don’t be afraid to change therapists if you (or your child) isn’t happy with their current one. I know how frustrating it can be to make changes once you are in a rhythm, but I’ll assure that once you have a therapist that you (and your child) are happy with, you’ll view taking your child to their therapy points as a fun experience, instead of a dreaded one!
It may look like fun, but it's hard work!
What has been your experience with your child’s therapists? What do you like best about your child’s therapists. Does he or she display the sort of characteristics I mentioned in this post?
Bitty and Beau’s Coffee is an amazing nationwide coffee shop chain that is much more… Read More
Ever since we took Noah to his very first dance party many years ago, this… Read More
One of the first things our OB/GYN told us after we received our son's Down… Read More
Before the pandemic, my wife and I were both members at Orange Theory Fitness (and… Read More
As the parent of a child with Down syndrome, I have wondered if people with… Read More
I Love Being His Coach! After 18 plus months off due to COVID-19, Noah started… Read More
View Comments
You are so lucky. I live in a very rural area and don't have access to the resources you have. I have been piecing together my own program at home. Watching your videos often points me in the right direction, especially with PT. He is doing so great! I can't help but think we would be way further down the road with the kind of help he gets. Good job you guys!
Lilly,
Thank you very much for the kind words. I'm sorry to hear about your struggles, but thankful that our site can be of help.
I believe ECI is able to send therapists to your house regardless of where you live. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that is how it works.
Have you contacted them? I'm not sure what your closest major city is, but you may want to start there, or perhaps contacting the National Down Syndrome Society, maybe they could point you in the right direction.
Also I'm not sure if you have seen this post, but my wife put together a great list of resources. There are several books on there that are the same ones we used. They have GREAT exercises in there you can do at home.
Here is the link ----> http://noahsdad.com/top-resources/
Also, I'm not sure if you have 'liked" our Facebook page, but there are lots of great parents there as well whom I'm sure would be able to give you some other great suggestions. Here is that link ---> http://facebook.com/noahsdadcom
Please keep us posted on everything. By the way, how old is your little one?
Thank you so much for your reply. I love your site and read every post. Sooo inspiring and full of love and information. I appreciate what you and your wife are doing SO much!
The good news is that I managed to get a PT to put me on the calendar for the 14th! Yay! He is coming from the next town over and I am really excited! Especially when I see how good Noah is doing with the advantage of it. Guess it pays to be the "squeaky wheel". We drive into town for EI once a week but it didn't have any PT, so this is a big deal. He will be able to tell me if I am on the right track or not with what I am doing with her at home and then give me additional exercises to do with her.
Our sweet little Melody is 18 months and I posted a picture of her on your facebook page but I think it was when you were on vacation and I am not sure if you saw it or not.
Thank you again for your encouragement and all that you do. Kiss that sweet Noah for me! He is rockin it!
Lily,
That is great news..! Way to go!!
Keep us posted on how things work out, and what you experience is!
Thanks!
As a kindergarten teacher of 25 5yr-olds, I have come to appreciate and respect the value of an encouraging, patient, and invested therapist.
You hit it exactly; those are the best qualities.
I can't remember who said it, but I do believe this to be true in the classroom and in life:
"They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."
That's a great quote, and one I try to live by.
Hope you have a GREAT NEW YEARS!
I actually want to add one more thing. Even if you are happy with your therapists, it never hurts to keep an open mind. We loved our PT from EI, but then we took Alyson to aqua PT (not offered through EI) as an outpatient service. From that point on, I learned that A.) you can still get private services even if you are receiving EI (not a lot of people know that) and B.) that even though we love our EI PT, but our new private PT are even better! They knew so much and offered advice/tips.
Hey....great minds think alike!
We tell people what you just said all the time. All of Noah's therapy (4 times a week) is through a private therapist. Not the ECI is bad, it's just that our first experience with them was bad.
What people don't understand is there's really no difference between ECI and private therapy (other than one is offered by the state.). They all get trained the same. It's all up to how skilled the individual therapist is.
Some people have great success with ECI and some people aren't happy with their "private" therapist. It's all hinges on how well you and your child connect with the therapist.
And you are right that a lot of people aren't aware insurance (and Medicaid) is accepted at many private physical therapists.
I'm glad to hear things are going so well for you guys. Have a GREAT NEW YEARS!
I love our therapists both through EI. Liam has been having physical therapy in home since may and ot in home since september. I could not have done it with all my other kids if it weren't for in home therapy. Liam loves his therapists and I feel like you summed it up well with how we all connected with them and how supportive and encouraging they are with us all. That does truly make a good therapist!
I'm glad you guys have found a good PT / OT. Sounds like it's working out well.
How old are your children if you don't' mind me asking? Also what sorts of things are your children doing / working on now?
I think that this site is fantastic. My adorable grandson Tim has been a concern to me since shortly after he was born. His pediatrician kept insisting that he was progressing normally, and that all was well, even though he had decreased muscle tone, his head tilted to the left, he had a very strange "dragging" crawl, delayed speech....at my daughter's insistence, he began EI (and a new pediatrician) at 18 MOS...he was FINALLY diagnosed as having had a pontine stroke (early during his prenatal course) He is progressing well, yet will have many hurdles to clear Not really sure what the future holds for this adorable, cuddly 2 1/2 yr old. There really is not much information regarding Tim;s dx...the majority of these babies have multiple issues, which thankfully he does not. He is a blessing in our family, and we are so lucky to have him...KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING...YOU REALLY CAN NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ARE HELPING OTHERS!!!
Thank you for your kind words, you sound like a great grandmother! How is Tim doing now? What sorts of thinks is he working on?
Also are you on our faceobok? We'd love for you to post a picture of Tim when you get a chance. :) http://facebook.com/noahsdadcom (please keep us posted on your grandson's journey. He sounds like an incredible little boy!)
Found your blog via Pinterest! Wonderful wonderful! Will share with my peeps! I am a pediatric occupational therapist and really value this information. I think (HOPE!) I'm on the right track. If only my position funded the therapy time that the kids deserve. Sigh. Regardless, as long as the time is filled with encouragement, patience and investment, I will be able to smile at the end of the day!
Nicole,
How cool! It's great to have so many OT / PT / ST reading our blog and following our story. We are glad to have you along. Where do you practice at? What age range do you work with?
Do you work with any children born with Down syndrome and / or any other special needs?
My mom just directed me to your site and it is incredible. As an occupational therapy student half way through my program and about to begin the pediatric coursework, this is absolutely inspiring and empowering! You are 100% correct in that part of what we do is regulated by our education and standardized governing-body requirements... BUT a large part is what each individual brings to treatment. Therapeutic use of self, investment in our patients, and how much our practice really is a part of our life, not just a job we leave at the end of the day. Thank you for sharing your experiences with PT and OT, good and bad. As a student, it's great to hear the patient/parent perspective because that's why we do what we do. Also, keep spreading the message and your story. It is so important for people to understand that limitations and diagnoses do not DEFINE us. Inherent within each individual are strengths waiting to be realized!
Emily,
Thanks so much for your kind words. You sound like you are going to be an incredible occupational therapist! :)
And I totally agree, every therapist is different. State funded, private, or other...we've seen (or heard) both good and not-so-good ones at each.
What do you plan on doing after school? Do you have a certain age range you'd like to work with?
test
Reuben's physio (i'm assuming it's the same thing) is FANTASTIC! Her name is Glenys, and she comes to our house once a fortnight now (used to be weekly) she LOVES Reuben, but is firm with him when he is being silly, and very loving towards him too! She is always there to help and even goes out of her way to help me find out information! I love Reub's physio...xx.
That's awesome! It sounds like you guys have a winner. By the way, do they combine OT / PT in Austrillia?
Rick Smith what's the difference with PT & OT? reuben had another lady come and see him on thursday with Glenys but im not too sure what she was there for? lol...she brought toys for him to play with.....is that OT? we get a dietitian and a speech pathologist who will come see us too at some stage!
Hi Libby Holmes! A fellow Victorian!! Physio (PT) - focusses on gross motor, or movements that require major muscle groups (like walking, running, climbing etc.). OT (Occupational therapist) focuses on fine motor activities - usually things to do with hands / fingers - and are known for their toys, so was probably an OT that came to visit. How old is your little one? My Scarlett turned three just over a week ago. Cheers.
ohh that make sense!!!! thanks Monica Kelly.... Reuben is 1 in 5 days! xx
Libby Holmes - Oh, Happy Birthday Reuben. Both have February babies. Hope you guys are doing ok. Take care, Monica